Whenever I encounter cosplayers, such as at the Japan Matsuri festival in Trafalgar Square last September, I find they love to be photographed and invariably produce a dramatic subject. Cosplay is getting more popular and Nikon is one camera manufacture that has embraced the fashion and is going all out to offer tips to cosplay photographers. First, though, what is Cosplay? I rely on Wikipedia for a full briefing:
″Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure?), a contraction of the words costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture and a broader use of the term “cosplay” applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject and it is not unusual to see genders switched. Favorite sources include manga and anime, comic books and cartoons, video games, and live-action films and television series.
″The rapid growth in the number of people cosplaying as a hobby since 1990 has made the phenomenon a significant aspect of popular culture in Japan and some other parts of Asia and in the Western world. Cosplay events are common features of fan conventions and there are also dedicated conventions and local and international competitions, as well as social networks, websites and other forms of media centered on cosplay activities.″
Nikon is creating a series of Cosgenic (from “cosplay” and “photogenic”) lessons. They feature professional photographer Yoriko Inoue and cosplay model Rinami. As a cosplay photographer you are shown how to make the most of a model shoot with Rinami.
You can read the full story here at Rocketnews.